Kinetic aspects of copper (II) transport across liquid membrane containing LIX-860 as a carrier

Abstract The kinetics of liquid membrane extraction of copper using LIX-860 as a carrier was studied. It was found that the salicylaldoxime molecules are present in the organic (C 10 –C 13 normal paraffins) membrane solution in the form of dimmers and that the distribution coefficient of copper does not depend on temperature within the range of 273–293 K. The kinetic studies of copper transport in the liquid membrane system studied point out that the rate of the first transfer step - copper transfer from the aqueous feed solution to the bulk of the membrane solution - is controlled by the solute diffusion across the first interface. The second step - copper transfer from the bulk of the membrane liquid to the aqueous sulphuric acid solution - is controlled not only by diffusion, but also by the rate of the chemical reaction between the copper-LIX-860 complex and the hydrogen ions present in the stripping solution.